Dirigible headlight for automobiles



Dec. z8 192e. 1,611,883

J. M'. cALKlNs' DIRIGIBLE mgALIGHT Fon AUTouBILEs l Fi-led Jan; 19. 1925 ATroRNEys Patented Dec. 28, 1926i.

UNITED `srrxrlazs 4PArlezNr OFFICE.;

JAMEs M. cALKINs, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To scoTT HEAD LAMI? CONTROL, OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, A CORPORATION or FLORIDA. J

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application led January l dirigible headlights for automobiles, and it consists in' the combinations, constructions,l

and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a dirigible headlight constructed for auto- ,mobiles which has novel means Vfor moving the reflectors in the headlights, so as tol direct the rays from the headlights in the same direction in which the wheels are turned. Y

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described in which novel means is provided for lvarying the swing of the reflectors with respect to the front wheels of the automobile, this means also' being adapted to permit ,the

wheels to move `without swinging the re-' flectors. n

, A further object of my invention 1s to provide a device of the type described in which all of the moving parts are concealed, whereby the moving parts are protected from foreign matter such as dust, dirt, and the like.

Other objects andadvantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features ofthe invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

. My invention is illustrated in the acc'ompanying drawings, 4forming part of this ap lication, in whichigure 1 is a. front elevation of the device, Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 fof Figure 12,

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the mechanism for varying the swing of the of the` vehicle,

Figure 5 is a section along the hne 5-5 of F1gure 4, and

Figure 6 is a section along the "line-6 6 of Figure 4. d. y

In carrying out my invention I make use of an automobile which has the usual front fenders 1. .A headlight supporting mechanism comprising a 'pipe 2 and headlightst3 is" secured to the fenders 1 by lmeans of vbrackets 4. Figure 4 shows how the pipe 2 is formed in two sections, these sections beingsecured toeach otherby means of a casting 5. The casting '5 also houses `the onl tilted forwardly so as to direct the light electors with respect to the front WheelsI 19, 1925. seria1 No. 3,351.

mechanism ,for swinging the reflectors in the headhghts, and for varying the swing of the reflectors.

`In Figures 2 and 3 I show the Wag the reflectors 6 are mounted in the' headli'g s 3.

It will be noted'from these figures that the and has its lower end provided with a gear 11. Figure 4 shows how the rods l0 with their gears 11 are operatively connected to each other and to the reflector ,swinging mechanism. A rack 12 has slots 13 therein through which the `rods 10 extend. One

side of the slots 13 has teeth 14 that are adapted to mesh with the teeth in the gears 11. It will be seen from this construction that when the rack 12 is moved in the pipe 2, itv will cause the rods to rotate so as to swing the reflectors in a horizontal plane.

l In addition to the horizontal swing of the reflectors, the reflectors are tilted forwardly when swung. A cam'l is rigidly secured yto each of the lreflectors- 6 and has a cam slotA 16 therein into which the free end -of a pin 17 is slidably disposed. The pin is carried by the, casing of the reflector 3,'and it Will therefore be apparent that whenthe reflector 6 is swung by the ring 7, the pin 17 will also cause the reflector to tilt downwa'rdly.` In this way the reflectors are not moved with the wheels but are also down upon the road. l, v

The means for moving therack 12 comprises a rack 18 that is adapted to rotate a gear 19 (see Figure-5) when the rackl 18 is moved. The gear- 19 is mounted on a shaft 20 that in turn carries a gear 21. The gear 21 is disposed in a slot 22 that is similar to the slots 13.. The slot'22 is provided with teeth 23 that are in mesh with the gear 21.

When the rack 18 is moved,tilt will rotate thgea'rs 19 and 21 so as to move the rack 12. I found it convenient to dispose the to the steering rod 27 .,The'rod 95 lis connected to the steering rod by any means such as a crank arm 26. When the prod 27 is turned, it will'move 'the 'rod 25 so as to .disposed in slots 32-in the casting 5.

cause the rod to slide back and forth in the castingl 5. The rod is connected to av lever 28 by means of apin 29. The lever 28 is provided .with a slot 30 in which a pin -31 is slidably disposed. Figure 6 clearly shows how the pin 31 passes through the slot 30 and also how the pin is slidably A, frame 33 is provided for moving the pin 31 for a purpose hereinafter described. The

` frame 33 vhas arms with openings through in Figure 4 thatthe rack 18 has a rounded which the pin 31 extends.

The frame 33 is adapted to be moved by means of a kiiurled nut 434 orthe like.

The nut 34 is mounted upon a threaded..

shank 35 of the frame 33. The nut 34 is rotatably carried'by thel casting 5 by means of a ring 36. It will be seen from this construction that when the nut 34 is rotated it will move the frame 33, the frame in turn moving the pin 31 in the slots 30 and 32,

The casting 5 has o'rooves 37 which actasguideways for thecframe When the pin 31 is in the position shown -in Figure 4 the rod 25 swings the lever28 so'as to move the rack 18. 1t will be noted end portion 38 that slidably contacts with the free vend of the lever 28.` The rack 18 is spring pressed by means of springs 39,

and these springs are. adapted to yleldingly hold the-portion ,38, incontact with the lever 28. The dottedflines in Figure 4 show the lever 28 in `two positions and also show how the springs 39 keep the rack 18 in contact with the lever 28p The lever 28 imparts a maximum movement to the rack 18 when the pin is in the position shown in .Figure 4. If now the nut 34 is rotated so to move'the -pin 31 toward the opposite end of the slot 30, the .lever 28 will impart a less movement to the rack 18. 1f the pin 31 is moved over to the opposite en d of the i slot 30 from that in which it is'shown it will permit the lever 28 to pivot thereon 'without imparting any movement at all to the rack 18. This construction provides -a simple mechanism for. connecting the rack 18 to the rod 25 at -all timesl and for also xchanging therelative movements ot' the rack V18 withl respectto the rody 25, this change being .accomplished at the will'of the operator. Furthernipre, if the operator so desires, he may move the pin 31 so as to permit 'the .rod 25 to move without moving the 'rack 18. 11n this. waythe reflectors 6 are retained in a fixed position even though the wheels ofthe car are being turned by the driver.' Y i From the yforegoingA description .of the lvarious parts of the device,l theI operation thereof lmay -be readily understood. 'The reflectors- 6 are normally connected to the rod 25 yso as to be swung when the rod is moved. i It often times happens, however, that the ldriver wishes to disconnect the reflectors from the steering mechanism during day vtime travel. This can be done by merely rotating the nut 34 so as to dispose the pin 31 in the opposite end of the slot 30. The mechanism for disconnecting the reflectors from the steering mechanism in addition provides a novel means for varying the swing of the reflectors with respect to the' front wheels. In other words, if the driver wishes to have the headlight reflectors swing through a greater arc than do the wheels, he

may move the pin31 along the slot 30 until i The mechanism,

nism is the actuating nut 34 and the threaded shank 35. The device is extremely simple in construction and is thoroughlv durable for the purpose intended.

I claim: 1

1. In a. dirigible headlight construction for vehicles, a headlight casing, a reflectorv movably mounted in said casing, means lfor swinging said reflector in a horizontal plane and for swinging said reflector forwardly when swung in a horizontal plane, said nieans being actuated by the steering mecha# nism'of the vehicle, and means for automatically varying tlie swing of the reflector, said means being adapted to connect and disconncct the reilectoil Jfrom the steering mecha-v nism.

2. The combination with a vehicle having a steering mechanism, of headlights carried by saidvehicle, reflectors movably' mounted in said headlights, means tor automatically swinging, said reflectors .in a horizontal plane .fand for tilting the reflectors forwardly, and means connecting said reflector moving'means withv the steering mechanism of the vehicle, Vsaid means being adapted to connect and disconnect said reflector moving means with said steeringmechanism.A

3) The combination with a vehicle having a steering mechanism, of headlights carried by said vehicle, reflectors `I novably mounted in saidgheadlights, means for automatically swinging said reflectors in a horizontal plane and for tilting the reflectors `forwardly, and means connecting: said reflector 'moving means with the steering vmechanism of the vehicle, said means being adapted to con-J neet and disconnect said reflector moving means with said steering mechanism, and

for varying the swinging of said reflectors.

iso

4. In a device of the type described, ya re- Hector turning means including a slidable member, an actuating rod operatively connected to said slidable member, a lever for connecting said rod with said'member, and means for changing the pivot point of said lever so as to vary the swing'of said lever, whereby various movements may be imparted by said rod to said member.

5. In a device of the type described, a reflector, a member operatively connected to said reecto'r so as to swing said reflector, a rod adapted to .be moved by the steering mechanism of the vehicle, ay lever operatively connecting said rod to said member, means for changing the pivot point of said lever so as to vary the movement imparted to said member by said rod, said means being adapted to move the pivot point of the lever so as to permit the rod to move without imparting a movement to said member.

JAMES M. CALKLNS. 

